Explosively actuated cutting tool



P 6, 1955 L. E. SMYRES 2,716,813

EXPLOSIVELY ACTUATED CUTTING TOOL Filed Aug. 25, 1955 IN VEN TOR.

ATTD R N EYE United States Patent 2,716,813 EXPLOSIVELY ACTUATED CUTTINGTOOL Lynn E. Smyres, Midland, Mich. Application August 25, 1953, SerialNo. 376,310 2 Claims. (Cl. 30-241) This invention relates to a cuttingtool, and more particularly to a tool for use in cutting electricalconductors or wires.

The object of the invention is to provide a tool which will enable theuser to safely and easily cut wires or conductors.

Another object of the invention is to provide a percussion hot linecutter which will make an instantaneous cut in the wire so that wirescan be cut more safely and wherein line construction and maintenance canbe accomplished cheaper and more easily.

A further object of the invention is to provide a percussion hot linecutter which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and inwhich like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout thesame:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cutter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view the housing.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the blade and plunger.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a housingor barrel which may be made of any suitable material, and formedintegral with an end of the housing 10 or secured thereto is a collar11. A handle 12 of wood or other suitable non-conducting material isarranged in threaded engagement with the collar 11. The presentinvention is adapted to be used for severing or cutting a wire such as ahot line 14 (broken lines Figure 1).

Positioned in the housing 10 is a pin or bolt 15, and rotatably mountedon the pin 15 is a cylinder 16. The cylinder 16 is provided with aplurality of spaced chambers17, and a cartridge 18 is adapted to beinserted in each of the chambers 17. A bore 19 is arranged in thehousing 10, and a plunger 20 is reciprocably arranged in the bore 19.Formed integral with the plunger 20 or secured thereto is a blade 21,and the blade 21 is provided with a cutting edge 22, Figures 2 and 6.

The tool of the present invention further includes a jaw 23 which isprovided with a channel 24 for receiving the cutting edge 22 of theblade 21 when the blade is in its extended position. The jaw 23 isdetachably connected to the housing 10 by means of securing elementssuch as screws or bolts 26 which extend through a portion of the jaw 23and through a finger that extends from an end of the housing 10.

taken through The outer periphery of the rotatable cylinder 16 isprovided with a plurality of notches or recesses 27. The housing 10 isprovided with a cut-out 28 intermediate its ends and the cutout 28permits access to be made to the cylinder 16 whereby the cartridges 18can be replaced in the chambers 17 as desired. A spring member 29 hasone end connected to the outside of the housing 10 by a suitable pin orscrew 30, and the other end of the spring member 29 is adapted to engageone of the recesses 27. Formed in the housing 10 is a first passageway31which leads from the bore 19, and the passageway 31 communicates witha passageway or conduit 33. A plug 32 closes the outer ends of thesepassageways and the purpose of these passageways is to convey some ofthe discharging gases from the cartridges 18 so that these discharginggases will pass from the bore 19 to the recesses 27 to rotate thecylinder 16. Thus, after a cartridge 18 has been fired, the cylinder 16will be rotated so that the next cartridge is in position below theplunger 20.

For firing the cartridges 18 a firing pin 34 is provided, Figure 2.Secured to the lower end of the firing pin 34 is an enlarged rod 35which is adapted to abut a shoulder 36 in the housing 10 to limitmovement of the firing pin. The member 35 is formed integral with orsecured to a transverse rod 37 that projects through an opening 38 in alink 39. The link 39 is arranged outside of the housing 10 and a handlemember 40 is connected to the link 39. The handle member 40 extendsthrough a guide ring 41 which projects from the handle 12, and thehandle member 40 is also made of a non-conducting material such as wood.A lug 42 is arranged on the free end of the handle member 40 forfacilitating the manual actuation thereof. A coil spring 43 ispositioned in the housing 10, and the coil spring 43 serves to urge thepin 34 into engagement with a cartridge 18. Thus, in use the handlemember 40 is moved away from the housing 10 to thereby compress thespring 43 and when manual pressure on the handle member 40 is released,the spring 43 will drive the firing pin 34 forwardly to cause itspointed end to strike the cartridge 18 and fire the cartridge. Then, asthe cartridge is fired the plunger 20 will be moved forwardly in thebore 19 to thereby cause the cutting edge 22 of the blade 21 tocooperate with the jaw 23 and thereby sever the hot wire or line 14. Thefinger 37 extends through an elongated opening 44 in the housing 10, andcommunicating with the opening 44 is a recess 45. The recess 45 providesa safety since the handle member 40 can be shifted so that the member 37seats in the recess 45 whereby accidental firing of the cartridges 18will be prevented. Then, when the cartridges are to be fired it is onlynecessary to shift the member 37 from the position shown in Figure 7 tothe left so that it is in the opening 44 whereby normal firing of thecartridges can be accomplished. A space 46 is provided between the jaw23 and the adjacent portion of the housing 10 whereby the wire 14 to besevered can be moved into a position to be cut by the blade 21.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a tool has been provided which isespecially suitable for use in cutting hot wires such as the wire 14. Inuse the cylinder 16 may be filled with the cartridges 18 through thecut-out 28. Then, the tool can be moved so that the wire 14 is receivedbetween the jaw 23 and the blade 21 as shown in Figure 1. Then it isonly necessary to grip the lug 42 and move the handle member 40 awayfrom the housing 10 and then when pressure on the handle member 40 isreleased the spring 43 will cause the firing pin 34 to strike thecartridge 18 and fire the cartridge. As the cartridge is fired the gasesissuing therefrom will cause the plunger 20 to move in the bore 19whereby the cutting edge 22 of the blade 21 will cooperate with thechannel 24 to sever the hot line 14. Some of the gases from thecartridges will pass through the passageways 31 and 33 to strike therecesses 27 as shown in Figure 5 whereby the cylinder 16 will be rotatedso that the next cartridge is in position to be fired.

With the present invention energized electrical lines can be readily cutand the tool operates on the principle of the guillotine but, is powderactuated by blank cartridges 18. The tool can be used for cutting wiresof different sizes and the powder load can be varied according to thecut to be made. The handles are non-conductive and the cutter is placedover the wire 14 to be cut. The percussion from the blank cartridge 18will push the blade 21 against the wire 14 to make the necessary cut.The spring brake 29 will stop the cylinder 16 by tension on one of thegas pockets or recesses 27 so that the cylinder will be in the rightposition for the next cartridge.

When a company uses the tool of the present invention, the company willbe saved money by restoration of services as soon as possible. The toolwill make an instantaneous cut to thereby reduce the chance of an are orflash when the line is cut under load which is sometimes necessary andalso the tool protects the eyes. The tool offers a big safety factor ofmuch less movement on the part of the operator when working in congestedareas and the single unit of the tool eliminates the double handle nowused on the majority of conventional cutters which are lever or ratchetoperated. This makes for easier operation and reduces storage space forthe tool on the truck. Since line construction and maintenance is verystrenuous work and the better the tool functions the less the linemantires, the lineman will be able to keep more mentally alert whileengaged in this hazardous profession with the present tool.

I claim:

1. A percussion hot line cutter comprising a housing, a handle made ofnon-conducting material connected to an end of said housing, a jawconnected to said housing, a plunger reciprocably arranged in saidhousing, a blade connected to said plunger and mounted for movementtowards and away from said jaw, a pin mounted in said housing, acylinder rotatably mounted on said pin and provided with a plurality ofchambers therein for holding cartridges, there being a cut-out in saidhousing for the projection therethrough of a portion of said cylinder,said cylinder being provided with a plurality of recesses in its outerperiphery, a spring member having one end secured to said housing andengaging said recesses, an L-shaped firing pin reciprocably mounted insaid housing, a handle member for moving said firing pin away from thecartridges, a coil spring for urging said firing pin into engagementwith the cartridges, said housing having passageways therein whereby aportion of the gas from the cartridge is directed onto the recesses insaid cylinder to rotate the cylinder as the cartridges are fired.

2. A percussion hot line cutter comprising a housing, a handle connectedto an end of said housing, a jaw connected to said housing, a plungerreciprocably arranged in said housing, a blade connected to said plungerand mounted for movement towards and away from said jaw, a pin mountedin said housing, a cylinder rotatably T mounted on said pin and providedwith a plurality of chambers therein for holding cartridges, there beinga cut-out in said housing for the projection therethrough of a portionof said cylinder, said cylinder being provided with a plurality ofrecesses, a spring member having one end secured to said housing andengaging said recesses, a firing pin reciprocably mounted in saidhousing, a handle member for moving said firing pin away from thecartridges, resilient means for urging said firing pin into engagementwith the cartridges, said housing having passageways therein whereby aportion of the gas from the cartridge is directed onto the recesses insaid cylinder to rotate the cylinder as the cartridges are fired.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

